The Gypsy Chronicles

by Alison Mackie, Vintage Spanish Postcards: Images Spain Archive (Illustrator), Ashton Court Press (Editor)

Alison Mackie's The Gypsy Chronicles is an illustrated novel told in short  Upon each Matrimonial bed Tzigany de Torres makes he bestows a potent charm, one that guarantees a lifetime of passionate love within the marriage. His wife is a match maker and together they are in the business of making love happen. However, if you were to assume there is sex in this book you would be mistaken. There is no sex in this book. There is something even Love - or should I say,  quietly, the making of love.

Genres: Fiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2007

About the author

Contact: Alisonmackie62@gmail.com

Reviews

[BLEEPING Herald Newsletter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while a book comes along that seduces you away from reading about brain chemistry and chaos theory. Plus it’s spring, and the whole world is in love with itself. Just the time to pick up a delightful bit of fiction that will enchant the spirit and warm your heart.

The Gypsy Chronicles is first and foremost a love story about love. It follows the reminiscences of Gitana, a gypsy woman and natural born matchmaker who falls in love with Tzigany de Torres, the local maker of Matrimonial Beds. Even if Tzigany did not place a potent charm for a lifetime of passionate love making (not sex mind you, but love making) on each one of his beds, his and Gitana’s marriage would have been an excellent match. But Tsigany would hardly miss the opportunity to charm his own bed. And so his life and love for Gitana is enchanted from the moment they meet.

For more review: http://www.bleepingherald.com/may2007...

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gypsy Chronicles has an enchantment of love that spills over from its pages and into one's life! I read the book aloud to my adult daughter while she was home for a visit and we both laughed with delight and gushed with oooos and awwwwws together as its scenes of love unfolded in our imaginations. Just as you are able to feel the love emanating from lovers when in their presence, so it is with Alison Mackie's book. The Gypsy Chronicles has such an aura of real love that the reader is drawn into it, as if gazing into the eyes of ones beloved. This book is far too good to be placed in the category of romance novels. Alison Mackie has crafted a book that is nothing less than pure enchantment, casting a spell of love upon the reader!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight to have read this tale of two people who enticed each other with charm, wits and determination. You can't help to be caught up in their lives and feel the excitement that awaited them. The author gave a very vivid look into the lives of many characters. I found myself reading it several times. This book was written in good taste and left something to the imagination. As I was reading I felt that I was apart of the story. That I was standing outside the window looking in, so to speak.
Very nicely done Alison!

[Pip]

Alison is a true dervish of words. Her characters live within each of us and our most loving senses and thoughts surrounding love. We are brought back to potent lines of writers past while we follow the gypsy and wonderful maker of beds, into the magic that only Alison Mackie can provide.

[Laurelish Ishnish · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIVA La GYPSY CHRONICLES!!
I love this book so much! I want to pack up and head straight to Ronda, Spain. NOW!
I wish to drink in the wonder of Andalusia, the passion of Flamenco and delight in the zest for life of my Roma friends! I want to celebrate life, friendship and love at Cafe de la Alegria! I've always loved Gypsy music and The Gypsy Chronicles deepened this appreciation.
The characters are so alive, so colorful, that I kept picturing it as a wonderful motion picture as I read. VIVA La GYPSY CHRONICLES!!
I pictured the landscape: breathtakingly exquisite; the music and dancing: intense and passionate; thE clothing ... everything. The movie will be a success at the box office and I'm extremely pleased to be one of the first readers to discover this little gem of a book.

I was intrigued, reading about the mysterious allure of a fragrance oil known as Egyptian Musk in the book. At first I assumed it was just a fictional fragrance added to the story for effect. Much to my surprise this fragrance does indeed exist and the author makes and sells it herself. I bought a bottle and Sundora's Egyptian Musk was shipped to me promptly. It is an unusual fragrance and I suspect she adds to it some Nag Champa. I've searched high and low to find a fragrance oil equivalent to all I love about Nag Champa but even Nag Champa doesn't come close to that elusive beauty that describes Sundora's Egyptian Musk. Sundora's Egyptian Musk is the most sweet, scintillating fragrance I have anointed myself with in a very long time and the book, a rare treat! And Alison Mackie publisher, author and perfumer is now a good friend. All in all its been a wonderful Myspace experience I'd say.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a page turner and a quick read. Alison Mackie transports you to the beauty of southern Spain, the duende of flamenco, and the passion of the gypsies. This book is full of magic and charm. The tone is exotic, romantic and mystical. It is a bedtime story for grown-ups. I read it in bed, which is highly recommended to do. It is the story of love and of making love. It starts out chronicling the love between the gypsies Gitana, a matchmaker, and Tzigany de Torres, a maker of matrimonial beds. Tzigany bestows potent charms on his beds so that whoever obtains these beds shall be bestowed a lifetime of lovemaking passion within the marriage. Newlyweds from all over come to purchase these highly sought after, magical beds. There are references to the poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca, and also Sabicas, one of the greatest flamenco guitarists ever. There are beautiful old photographs, and quotes from various authors and poets who had a passion for gypsies. This book makes you feel happy and gives you an added zest for living! This is an absolutely delicious read! Don't be surprised if you start craving a glass of wine and a cigar while reading it!

[Suly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gypsy Chronicles is fabulous! This is one of those novels you can not put down capturing your attention from beginning to end. Alison Mackie completely transports you to another world. She captures the spirit & zest of life thru this gypsy world full of love, romance, passion, and humor! It is one of the most vivid stories I’ve ever read that makes you feel so alive and so part of the story. This book is absolutely amazing. I can not wait for her next book.

[Adonica Kechemir · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book about multigenerational spirited gypsy women enjoying life and love. A reminder of the family-oriented village we no longer see, where everyone knows and helps each other, each generation passing down the quilt of knowledge and lore. A lovely slice of the simple and easy ways that our hurried society has seemed to have forgotten. A romantic place to find the lost part of yourself that believes in true love.

[Sandy Rush · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gypsy Chronicles is a charming heartwarming tale, one filled with memorable characters that stayed with me long after "The End" If you are looking for one of those typical Gypsy romances filled with wild sex, look elsewhere. This is not one of those books, thank goodness!

[Britta Stumpp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SUCH a delight, but I'm not going to share my review here, because it's going in the magazine I work for. Look for my review of this book in the January edition of Fuse: A Tribal and Tribal Fusion Belly Dance Magazine:
http://fusetribalmag.com/

[Mavis]

Amor....amor....The Gypsy knows and tells! OLE!!!!! 5 star reading by exciting new author Alison Mackie!!!!! I simply adored it.....you will, too!

[Kate R · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author’s ability to knit together a story is spectacular. She truly crafts a story full of characters and romance with incredible brevity. The romance is riveting and deep; there’s no graphic sex scenes or cliched moments, but it crackles. And, it lent me a little perspective into the gypsy culture.

My biggest beef with this book was the quantity of grammatical errors. I genuinely found it distracting (as well as the excessive quotes). I enjoyed this book, but I am not sure I’d pursue a second.

[Jcramer]

What a refreshing story! Now I want to travel to Andalusia and really get into the Gypsy culture. I learned so much about Flamenco and about the Gypsy lifestyle. What a real treat! Can't wait for the next addition to the Chronicles.
You just must read this book - I couldn't put in down.

[Katrien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the fairytale way of writing, combined with passionate fire burning throughout the book. I have given this book as a gift many times and people always marvel over it. A must read during hot summer days when you want to disappear in a world of small Spanish villages and flamenco.

[Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing bed in this book

[Alison Mackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its an "okay" book. My first.Next book will be better!

[Jeri Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a cute book. Its not as thick as it should be, but it has some very cute stories of Gypsies and how their loves come into their lives. Its a quick read.